By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Farmers have been taking advantage of dry weather the past two or three weeks to harvest corn, but weekend rain brought their streak of luck to a halt.

Harvest is close to 90 percent complete in the southern part of the county and 75 to 80 percent complete in the north, according to elevator managers.

The quality of the corn is reported good, with above average test weights and yields.

Grain coordinator Dick Tippin at Cooperative Grain and Supply in Hillsboro said the elevator has taken in 493,000 bushels. Almost 600,000 bushels are expected to be delivered.

Tippin said farmers were reporting yields of 60 to 100 bushels per acre. He said corn from north of Hillsboro generally was a little better than that coming from the south.

Manager John Ottensmeier at Marion said yields between 100 and 140 bushels were being reported on upland corn. Flooding reduced yields from bottomland fields. Some 70-bushel corn was reported.

The Marion elevator has taken in almost 600,000 bushels.

Corn from Marion and Hillsboro was trucked to the train terminal at Canton, keeping elevator space available locally.

Corn is being stored in bunkers at Agri Trails elevators in northern Marion County.

Lincolnville filled and covered a bunker with about 80,000 bushels of corn and has another 90,000 bushels piled on the ground that will be picked up soon after harvest. The grain can be run through a dryer, if necessary.

Manager Perry Gutsch said harvest was about half done.

Tampa had 160,000 bushels stored in a bunker and was starting to fill another bunker on Friday.

“We were hoping for drier fall weather, but flood watches are being posted, which isn’t good,” Agri Trails general manager Darrel Anderson said Monday.

Manager Chuck Knight at Mid-Kansas Cooperative in Peabody said his elevator has taken in 345,000 bushels, with the harvest 90 percent complete.

Yields have ranged from 75 to 130 bushels per acre. The corn is being shipped to Walton or a bunker as fast as it comes in.

“Some fields were hurt with too much water,” Knight said.